An alcoholic man, who took three vitamin D tablets per day in a bid to arrest worsening hip osteonecrosis, ended up with severe kidney damage, Taichung-based doctors said on Friday, as they urged the public to follow the instructions when using medicine.
The man surnamed Chang (張), 48, a heavy drinker who has femoral head avascular necrosis, had both hips replaced, said Chen Cheng-kuo (陳政國), a gastroenterologist at Asia University Hospital.
Hearing from a friend that vitamin D was good for bones, the man started taking over-the-counter supplements, but used two to three tablets a day, although the recommended dosage was one a day, Chen said.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
Two months into the misguided regimen, he experienced some symptoms such as drowsiness, constipation, abnormally frequent urination and thirst and fell unconscious at home, Chen said.
Chang’s family took him to the hospital, where doctors found he had a blood calcium content of 14.5mg per deciliter and an estimated glomerular filtration rate level of less than 20, Chen said, adding that a normal level would be above 90.
Doctors found that Chang had been using an unsafe amount of vitamin D supplements, and they told him to stop and drink more water, Chen said.
The man made a full recovery after one week, he added.
Vitamin D can be either inactive or active, with the latter being a raw material that the liver and kidneys metabolize, said Lin Hsuan-jen (林軒任), a doctor specializing in peritoneal dialysis.
Active vitamin D supplements are typically prescribed as a medicine for acute hypocalcemia, hypoparathyroidism or other medical conditions, Lin said, adding that average people do not need the substance.
People wishing to replenish vitamin D should consider obtaining it via food or exposure to sunshine before taking supplements, he said.
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